Method and means for forming and winding filamentary material



W. G. HOUSKEEPER. y METHOD AND MEANS EoR EOHMIMG AND WIMDING EILAMENTARY MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2,1919.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. HoUsxEEPER, OE NEW YORK', N. Y.,- AssIGNoR To WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FOB/MING AND WINDING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL.

' Application mea may 2, 1919. seran No. 294,223.

To all lwhom it may concern A Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. HOUS- KEEPER, a citizen of the United States residing at New York, in the county of ew York and State of lNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Means for Forming and Winding Filamentary Material, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for winding and forming filamentary material, and particularly filaments such as are used in electric lamps and audions. V

It has for an object to facilitate the .transformation of a long filament into a plurality of shorter lengths having a del sired form, such as ivi-shaped or V-shaped, for the above purpose.

This object is accomplished by winding a long ilamentary wire or strip of the desired material on a suitable frame, so as to provide a plurality of4 loops, and cutting the series of loops along one or more sides to form the individual filaments 1n a suitable length for use. The series of loopsmay be bent into the desired form before or after they are cut according to convenience.

In the preferred form ofmy invention an apparataus is provided for making Wishaped filaments by the above process. The frame on which the filament is wound is rotatable to facilitate winding, and conu-4 prises two parts or legs normally in alignment but capable of being rotated through an angle of 180 relatively to eachother when the loops are to be bent;

-The invention will`be more fully understood from the following detailed description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which 1 is a side elevation partly in section; Fig.

2 is an end elevation showing the wires in position immediately after they are wound on the frame; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thev rotating arms showing the --wires in position after the movable pin has been moved intov position; Fig. 4 is an end eleva- 0 tion of part of the device showing the. arms swung around the central shaft to form the ved to rotate the device.

-lVI-shape; Fig. 5 shows the form lof filament desired; and Fig. 6 shows an audion tube 1n which such a filament is used.

As shown in the drawing, the winding dev1ce comprises a standard 1, Aprovided at its upper end with a shaft-bearing 2, through which runs a hollow shaft 3. To one end of this hollow shaft 3 is fastened a sleeve 4 by means oa-set screw 5, the sleeve having integral therewith a handle 6, adapt- On a reduced diameter of the sleeve 4 adj acentl the bearing 2 is mounted a ratchetwheel 7 keyed to shaft 3, coacting with a pawl 8 which is pivotally mounted on the standard and held against the ratchet wheel 7 by means of thev port1on15 adapted to look with a corresponding art on another arm to be later described. etween the inner face of .this arm 12 and the sleeve 10 there isA no locking connection except the action of a ball and groove mechanism. This mechanism coniprises a ball 16 spring-pressed within a hollow portion 17 of the sleeve 10. This ball is normally pressed up against the inner face of the lower portion of arm 12 and is adapted to registerwith a similarly shaped depression therein. The engagement between the ball and its groove is sufficient to cause the arm 12 and the shaft 3 to rotate together except under abnormal conditions.

The left endv of shaft 3 is ianged and closed and on this flanged portion is rigidly mounted another arm 18 having-at its lower sion is placed a plate 22 having projecting end a winding lug 19 and a stop lug 2O and pins 23 thereon which pins serve a function to be later described. This plate 22 also has an aperture therein through which -is adaptn ed to slide another pin or fulcrum 24 on the end of sliding plug 25 contained within the hollow portion of the shaft 3. Plug 25 has a portion 26 extending outsidethe shaft 3 and on the end of this portion is an operating handle 28. This plug is limited in its movements by a stop pin 27 place within shaft 3.

ln Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the pins 23 and the pin fulcrum 24 as shown in the dotted position have considerable length. Likewise do lugs 13 and 19 so that a great many turns of ilamcntary material may be wound on the Jframe. As many as forty or fifty filaments have been made on this machine in one single operation. It will be noticed in Fig. 2 that as the wires are wound on the frame the normal area of the wires includes the aperture through which the pin 24 projects. ln Fig. 3 however 1t will be seen how the pin 24 is brought outside the area bounded by the wires. In Fig. 4 1s shown the wires bentaround to the lill-shaped position using pin 24 as a pivot point.

The operation of the machine is as follows :--The end of the filamentary material to be wound and formed is fastened in any suitableV manner to the inner edge of one of the lugs, and while lthe operator holds the y' manner.

bring the frame into the position shown in lamentary material in the hand the handle 6 is turned to wind the filament upon the. frame over the lugs in coils placed'side by side. When the required length of material has been wound on the frame the operator cuts o' the end and fastens it in any suitable rlhe handle 6 is then turned to Fig. 3 so that the two pins 23 will be l ing in a horizontal plane and uppermost o the three pins. With the hand the operator then moves the lower strands of the coils upwardly a suiicient distance so that the pin fulcrum 24 will clear them and lie outside whereupon this pin 24 is moved outwardly by `means of the handle 28. The handles movement is limited by the interposition of the stop pin 27 in thehollowshaft 3. rll`he operator then takes a pair of scissors and cuts the upper strands of the coils between the pins 23. After this the arm 12' is held stationary and pressure is applied to the other arm sulicient to cause the disengagement of the ball 16 from its socket so that arm 18 can be moved aroundrelatively to arm 12 into the position shown in Fig. 4. ln this form they'arel removed from the frame for storage or use. After the wires have been removed from the frame the arms 12 and 18 are moved back into the normal position again until the ball engages with its socket at which time also the shoulders 15 and 21` engage and prevent the arms from moving placed at a suitablev Massei too far in the other direction. llf as shown in Fig. 6, the iilamentary material'is to be used ,as the filament in an audion, the portions 29 constitute the upper ends which are suspended by wires 30 and the portions 31 constitute the lower ends which are held by wires 32 while the portion 33 constitutes the lower middle portion which is held b a wire 34, when these parts areassemble finished audion.

lin the audion shown there is a-lament electrode 35, a rid electrode 36, and a plate electrode 37 all mounted within an evacuated vessel 38 on a glass arbor 39 which is connected at its lower end to the usual glass press or squash 40.

What is claimed is:

.1. rllhe method of winding and forming lamentar material which comprises helically win ing a plurality of loops of the material on a frame, disconnecting the loops from each other and so bending each at a single point as to-fonm. the loop into an M? sha 2. The method of winding and formin lilamentary material which comprises win l ing a plurality of loops of the material on in the l ilamentary material which comprises win ing a plurality of substantially dat loops of the material on a frame, cutting one strand of each of the loops, and bending the other strands of the loop around a fulcrum.

4. The method of winding and forming filamentary-material which comprises winding a plurality of loops of the material on a frame with an acute angle at their ends,4

and bending the strands of the loops at their middle points around a fulcrum 'until they form V-shaped sections.

5. ,The method of winding and forming 'Iilamentary material which comprises winding a plurality of loops of the material on a frame with a desired angle at their ends cutting one strand of each of the loops, an

bending the other strandsl of the loops aroilind a fulcrum until they forma desired ang e.

6. The method of winding and ormin ilamentary material which comprises win ing a plurality of loops of the material on a frame with an acute angle at their ends, and bending the strands of the-loops around ico a fulcrum until they form an equal angle.

7 rlhe method of winding and forming vfilamentary'material which comprises winding a plurality'of loopsof the `material on a rame with a desired angle at their ends,

cutting one strand oit-each of the loops', and

bending the strands of the loops at their middle points around a. fulcrumuntil they form an equal angle. .v

10. A machine for winding and forming vfilamentary material comprising a frame adapted to receive a plurality of loops of Wire, said frame comprising a pair of oppositely disposed collapsible arms pivoted on said frame, a fulcrum on said frame around which said loops of Wire are ada ted to be bent When said arms are colla se l1. A machine for Winding land iorming filamentary material comprising a rotatable frame adapted to receive a plurality of loops of wire, said frame comprising a pair of oppositely disposed collapsible arms plvoted on said frame, a movable fulcrum on said frame around which said loops of Wire are adapted to be bent Whensaid arms are collapsed.

l2.-A machine for winding and forming flamentary material comprising Ia retatable shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed arms on said shaft, means for latching said arms in their opposed position7 lugs on said arm adapted to receive substantially fiat loops of lamentary material, aset of stationary pins extending from said shaft and lying Within the area bounded by said loops, a

,3, movable pin adapted to extend from said 40 shaft and to lie Without the area of saidv loops when one side ,ofthe loops is displaced toward the other side, said loo s adapted to be bent around said movable pin on one side after the other sides of the loops have been cut adjacent the stationary pins.

13. A machine for Winding and forming ilamentary material vcompri-sing a pair of oppositely disposed arms, lugs on said arms adapted toreceive substantially flat loops of lamentary material forming predetermined angles at their end portions.` a fulcrum situated near the midportions` of said loops around which one side of said loops are adapted to be bent to form an angle equal to the above-mentioned angle, and locking means whereby said arms may be held in opposed relation and may be moved l toward each other to bend the loc-ps around said fulcrum.

14. A machine for Winding and formin filamentary material comprising a vertical standard having a bearing in its upper end, a hollow rotatable shaft Within said bearing, a handle attached to one end of said shaft for rotating the same, a sleeve rigidly attached to the other end of said shaft, a pairv of oppositely disposed arm.y 011 one end of said shaft adjacent said sleeve, one `of said arms being rigidly attached' lo said shaft, the other of said arms being latched to said sleeve, lugs on sai-d arms adapted to receive substantially flat loops of ilainentary material having predetermined angles at their` end portions, a pair of stationary pins extending fromthe end of said shaft and lying within the -area bounded by said loops and adjacent one side of said. loops, a plug Within said hollow shaft having a handle portion at one end and a movable pin at the other, said movable pin adapted 4to extend through said shafts and to lie Withoutthe area bounded by said loops when one side of said loops is displaced slightlyY toward the other, and means whereby said ari'ns are unlatched and -moved toward each other to bend the under side of theloop around said movable pin after the other side of the loops has been cut adjacent the pair of sta` tionary pins.

15. The method of Winding and forming vacuum tube filaments which comprises Winding a plurality of loops of ilamentary material on a frame, and bending said loops around a fulcrum.

16. A machine for Winding and forming ilamentary material comprising a frame having relatively rotatable portions adapted to receive a plurality of helical loops of material, and a fulcrum around which said loops may be bent.

17. A .machine for Winding filamentary 'material comprising a shaft, a. plurality of arms mounted for rotation about said shaft, said arms having material receiving portions, and a latchmechanismor determining the angular relations of said arms.

18. A machinel for IWinding lilamentary materialh comprising a shaft, a plurality of arms mounted for rotation about saidshaft', said arms having material receiving portions, a latch mechanism for holding the arms in position to receive loops of material and means for collapsing said arms into an abutting relation and thereby bending the loops of material.

19. The method of Winding and forming lamentary material WhichA comprises Winding a plurality of closed loops of the inaterial on a rame, separating said loops, and collapsing the frame to similarly shape the sections.

20. The method of forming a vacuum tube lamentwhichcomprisesformingthefilament material into an'elongated closed loop, severing one strand of said loop midway of the length of said loop and doubling the other strand upon itself in the plane of said loop.

21. The method of Winding and .forming {ilamentary material which comprises Winduio ing a plurality of loops of tlm material, a frame, bending said loops aromwl a v:fullseparating said loops and so bending cach crum on said frame, separating said loops loop at a single point as to form an lvl-shaped and forming V-shaped sections.

section from the loop. lln Witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe 22. The method of Winding and forming my name this 29th day of April, A. D., 1919.

ilamentary material which comprises winding a plurality of loops of the material on l/VILLIAM G. HOUSKEEPER. 

